Rumpelstiltskin's Revenge
by orthankg1
Summary: So this is a rant about the fact that Gold got thrown over the town line. It just made me so angry, it was so stupid. That and I really wanted Hook to die, I realized that we like him now, well, kind of, sort of, maybe, like him; but we certainly like Rumple more. So this is basically my theory of the repercussions of what throwing Gold out of town will look like.


**So this is a rant about the fact that Gold got thrown over the town line. It just made me so angry; I mean the true stupidity of it all. That and I really wanted Hook to die, I realized that we like him now, well, kind of, sort of, maybe, like him; but we certainly like Rumple more.**

**So this is basically my theory of the repercussions of what throwing Gold out of town will look like. Please note that this is not in any way meant to be a well-developed story. Think of it more like a teaser trailer, with bits and pieces of the entire second half of the fourth season thrown in together.**

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><p><em>And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder:<br>One of the four beasts saying: "Come and see." And I saw.  
>And behold, a white horse.<em>

There's a man goin' 'round takin' names.  
>An' he decides who to free and who to blame.<br>Everybody won't be treated all the same.  
>There'll be a golden ladder reaching down.<br>When the man comes around.

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><p>Belle was currently inside of Granny's Diner for the 61st day in a row. For two whole months she had been coming in to drink her sorrows away. Every time she went back to their; no, her house, it was her house now. She only wished she could believe that.<p>

Every time she went back all she could think about was the fact that he wasn't there, and all because he loved the dagger more.

"Hi grandma." Henry said coming up to sit next to her. "Are you doing all right?"

"I think you and I both know the answer to that one Henry."

"Yeah I suppose we do." Henry said before they fell into an awkward silence for a few moments.

"Do you think I was right."

"What you mean?"

"It's just, it's like a death sentence. I know all I did was force Rumple over the line, but it's like he died because I can't take it back. He's gone forever."

"I could point out the fact that you could always go and see him, leave town and go find him."

"Then what was the point of throwing him out?"

"I don't know. You did it, why?"

"Because I was angry."

"Why were you angry?"

"Because the man I loved betrayed me in all sorts of ways."

"Loved, past tense?"

"Okay I still love him."

"Yes you do, and you are the most forgiving person in all the realms, you have always been able to find it within yourself to forgive anyone for any reason. So why can't you now?"

"Because he loves power more than me." Belle said, slightly angry but mostly just annoyed.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I mean sure he did fake the dagger, but he tried to give it to you, and is in it the thought that counts? What if it was always a fake, even when my mom used it to stop him from killing Zelena first time? Or he tried to get rid of it but then realized the hat was here? I mean from his point of view he thinks he has two options, the first is to have a cage and give you the key, hoping that you never lose the key and he ends up being locked in the cage again; his second option is to burn the cage, therefore allowing him to never have to worry about anything ever again. What if it was simply an opportunity to have his greatest fear removed, we both know he's always been an opportunist; and I hope you didn't think that after 300 years, dying once, and being forced to do all sorts of terrible things against his will by Zelena was going to dole that sense if an opportunity came to get rid of the dagger did you? Honestly I don't know if I could fault him for relapsing any more than you could someone addicted to a drug after someone they love has died. But what about you?"

Belle just looked at Henry with tears in her eyes, honestly wishing that it was just that simple. But of course it couldn't be could it, I mean this was a lot worse and something as simple as an alcoholic turning to drink, mean alcoholics don't normally kill. No it had to be more complicated than that.

But there was a voice in the back of her head nagging her, telling her that she would choose to burn the cage if their positions had been reversed.

But then she thought of how the gauntlet had told her that the thing he is loved most was his power.

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><p><em>The hairs on your arm will stand up.<br>At the terror in each sip and in each sup.  
>For you partake of that last offered cup,<br>Or disappear into the potter's ground.  
>When the man comes around.<em>

Johnny Cash – When the Man Comes around.

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><p><strong>00000<strong>

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><p><em>So Satan spake, and him Beelzebub<em>

_Thus answer'd. Leader of those Armies bright,_

_Which but th' Onmipotent none could have foyld,_

_If once they hear that voyce, thir liveliest pledge_

_Of hope in fears and dangers, heard so oft_

_In worst extreams, and on the perilous edge_

_Of battel when it rag'd, in all assaults_

_Thir surest signal, they will soon resume_

_New courage and revive, though now they lye_

_Groveling and prostrate on yon Lake of Fire,_

_As we erewhile, astounded and amaz'd,_

_No wonder, fall'n such a pernicious highth._

* * *

><p>"Here we are Dearies. Storybroke." Said coming to where the town line should've been.<p>

"Forgive me old friend, but I'm noticing a certain lack of a few minor details that one finds customary when finding a town. Namely a sign, lamp posts, a town, you know, minor things like that." Cruella Deville said.

"My dear, your powers of observation astounded me. But that is why we require what is in that lovely box." He then turned around and motioned for Ursula and Maleficent to get on either side of the box to pick up and bring to him. He then opened it to reviewing a very large hammer. "Ladies may I introduce you to Thor's hammer." He said smiling victoriously. "I knew that it was entirely possible that one day I might be banished from the town, thrown out into the cruel cold world. I managed to put in several little failsafes to fix that problem should arise. A portal to win from the enchanted forest that would remain active as long as the curse remained in effect, and this."

"What good will that do?" Ursula asked in confusion, but also amazement at the object she was seeing.

"Thor's hammer is one of the greatest weapons ever created, capable of causing thunder and lightning storms. But a lesser-known ability of this mighty weapon is the power to crush through nearly any protective spell."

"While that may be very helpful where there is magic, what good would do us considering the fact that we have no magic?" Maleficent asked.

"Oh ye of little faith." Rumple then reached into the box and pulled out a small potion with a drop of purple liquid. "Feast your eyes Dearies, a single drop of true love. The most powerful magic of all. A single drop will be more than sufficient to charge Thor's hammer and allow us to penetrate the border spell."

"It's a brilliant plan Rumple, but won't shattering the spell let people know were coming. It would be more subtle a hire a marching band to announce our presence."

"We needn't worry, if used by someone with great experience, ergo me, I'll be able to break a hole that will only exist right here on this road. Once were through we can put up another barrier and no one will be able to tell the difference."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Ursula said smiling.

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><p><em>Awake, arise, or be forever fall'n.<em>

Paradise Lost.

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><p><strong>00000<strong>

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><p><strong><em>And thus the war began.<em>**

**_A war between those who are good_**

**_And_**

**_Those who are evil._**

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><p>After setting up shop inside the cabin in the woods, they waited a week before doing anything, wanting to make sure that their entrance into town went undetected. The first order of business Gold took care of was to retrieve his dagger.<p>

Getting into his shop to search wasn't hard, he could feel that's Regina had put a protection spell around the building, but the shop new it's true master, and no spell could've kept him out.

While he was unable to find the dagger inside of the shop, he did retrieve that annoying little gauntlet, replacing it with a fake of course. And then he went to his home.

It didn't take him long to find the dagger once he got there, he wasn't sure if he should be happy or sad with Belle's lack of creativity and hiding it under her pillow. He wanted to be happy because it was easy to find, but also sad that Belle had apparently cared so little about him now that she hid his dagger in such a foolish place, or she was just too cocky to realize that he of all people would be able to find a way back.

He once again replace the dagger with a fake, and also managed to find the sorcerers hat.

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><p><strong><em>But this I fear shall offer up some confusion.<em>**

**_For this is a war waged by men._**

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><p>The others were very impatient, but Rumple had managed to keep his former students in line for the next three weeks. Which was no easy feat.<p>

He had told them that they had to be absolutely certain that they were a stealthy as possible in order to avoid discovery. The only way to beat the heroes was for them not to realize that the villains were attempting to win until they were already halfway through the end phase of their plan.

But tonight was going to be good night, because 88 days ago he had tried and failed to cleave himself from the dagger, but tonight he would be successful.

It was the annoying thing about that darned hat, it had been created during the summer solstice by the sorcerer. Meaning that only the months before, the month of, and the month after the solstice was it useful for what he wanted. The other nine months the year you couldn't have access to its full power, and while that was still rather impressive when you thought about it, it would mean that if he didn't do it tonight's he would need to collect 100 times the amount of magic was already in the hat or wait nine months.

And well, he didn't really feel like waiting that long.

The really annoying thing though, was that in order to accomplish this plan Rumple had to get past Emma. It appears that in three months she and Hook had managed to escalate rather nicely, at least from their point of view he was sure it was nice, to him it was disgusting. Emma had decided to move in with Hook, rather smart when you consider the fact that Mary Margret's apartment was so crowded it was unlikely they could've added a turtle on to that mess.

Gold had been thinking about it for days, but eventually had to admit that the only way he was going to get bloody pirate out of Emma's site, and not being a public area was for him to have the Queens of darkness go and cause a small disturbance late at night. This way he was home, and Emma had no choice but to leave.

All in all Gold couldn't have been happier with how things went, capturing Hook hadn't been hard, killing him even less so. And at the end of things he was feeling pretty happy with himself, so he finished up by having it look like a Hook wandered out into traffic and was hit by a car. A nice, non-heroic way to die. What more could he ask for. Gold allowed things to settle down after that, he waited a full week after Hook's funeral before he went to talk with Belle.

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><p><strong>For it is not man who decides what's good and what's evil.<strong>

**But God.**

**For who is truly good but God?**

**And therefore.**

**Who else but God can truly fight evil;**

**and be expected to win?**

**Me.**

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><p><strong>00000<strong>

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><p><em>If you remembered what things felt like;<em>

_You'd stop having wars_

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><p><em>Belle wasn't sure what caused it, but she suddenly felt uneasy. She looked around and she was wearing a white dress with flowers, and she was in a field.<em>

_Belle was certain she hadn't been drunk enough to go and fall asleep in a field. Okay maybe she was, but she was very certain there were no fields of grain with mountains and red skies in Storybrooke._

_She ran through the field towards the sound of sheep, and saw that she was headed towards town. When she heard a woman scream she ran faster. It was when she got there she couldn't believe what she saw._

_There in front of her were men on horseback taking the girl away from their parents. Those parents were begging them not to take away their child._

_"No! No, don't take her! No! No, you can't take her! She's my baby! Don't take my baby!"_

_"Nonsense. She's a fine, strong girl. She'll make a fine soldier."_

_"It's a mistake – she's turning fourteen. Only fourteen!"_

_"Orders of the Duke! The Ogre Wars have taken their toll this season. More troops will turn the tide."_

_"They lowered the age again, Papa." This instantly to Belle's attention, and she was shocked to see Rumpelstiltskin standing there in tattered peasant clothing, holding onto she was assuming was a young Bea._

_"I know."_

_"Take her." The Knights thing grabbed the girl. "She'll ride with me."_

_"No!"_

_"You can't have her!"_

_The mother said drawing the knife and tried to stab the night. Before she was able to the purple Magic came over them and they fell to the ground._

_"The Dark One seems to think I can."_

_"My birthday's in three days. They'll come for me in three days!"_

_"We'll find a way. We'll… We'll find a way."_

* * *

><p><em>This scene then shifted. And she saw a Rumple trying to command the dark one. She then heard Zozo insult Bae, and then Rumple kills him.<em>

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><p><em>The images then flashed more quickly, all sorts of horrible things. She watched as the sun moved around and around, until it became a glowing band in the sky. Fields of crops sprouted in died 100 times before her eyes, rivers shifted, mountains grew and shrunk and moved, barren land became towns, which then became cities, which then burned in fell. People grew old and died; she saw family go through seven generations before they were all wiped out by a plague.<em>

_And the whole time Rumple was standing in the middle of it all._

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><p>Belle then shot up in bed, a slight sweat on her for head. After she had calm to down she looked around the room and noticed that something was not quite right, she then reached over to turn on the lamp. After getting back to a normal sitting positions she suddenly froze.<p>

"Hello my love." All though she couldn't move, Gold could see the fear that had entered her eyes. "I know you wouldn't believe me if I told you that I'm not going to hurt you, but I still love you. So maybe the fact that if I wanted to kill you I done at any point for almost a month now will satisfy you. Yes that's right, I've been here a whole month, watching you every night drink yourself to sleep, and every morning waking up to go to the liquor store to buy more."

He then went and sat at the foot of the bed, looking at her unmoving eyes. "You're no doubt surprised to see me. Rest assured the dagger has already been removed from underneath your pillow." He then removed the blade, a fake again, and the gauntlet. "You know I spent a whole month thinking. It was basically all I did, think think think, think think think, think think think think think. It's all I did because, well, you see I was very confused. I would sit down and I would ask myself "self, how can my wife be so stupid?"

"Well, rumple you see the thing is she was also confused." Self would say.

"Well what if she confused about?" I would ask self.

"Well, she doesn't understand what this gauntlet is for." Self would tell me.

"No self, you must be mistaken. I told Belle what it was for, the gauntlet will allow you to find the person's greatest weakness."

"You told her that, but she didn't listen. She's just like one of those idiots who don't listen to your deals." Self told me. "You say great price, they hear great reward; you say the gauntlet will find your greatest weakness, she hears it will find thing you love most."

"Well why would you think that self?" I asked.

"You told her that most of the time the thing we love most is our greatest weakness. And she is a fool who apparently does not understand that most and always are two very different things."

"Why self." I say great amazement. "I do believe you are right, I should ask such a thing to her." And so here I am." Gold then looked at Belle. "For most people, normal people, the thing you love most is your greatest weakness. It appears you've forgotten, and it's not entirely your fault, we have been here for a long time, it's much harder to remember that I'm not normal person without my green skin. But I am the dark one; the rules are automatically different, my greatest weakness is the dagger, put a period at the end of that sentence because you're done. So you see you were wrong, the gauntlet lead you to my greatest weakness, not my greatest love."

Gold then sighed and stood up, then walked around the bed so that he could sit on what was his side and lay his head against the headboard. "But then a nasty little thought entered my mind. And I said "self, then why would my dearest Belle permanently separate us?" I mean when you threw me out of Storybroke you might as well have just killed me, as far as you knew I would never be able to see you again."

"And so self being the good natured and helpful fellow he is answered. "Rumple, could it be that Belle doesn't truly love you." Well naturally I yelled at him that this was impossible of course, after all how could you not love me, you told me you did so many times. But then I must admit, anyone who is ever said they loved me after I became the dark one is lied of course, no one but Bea ever told me that he so much as cared for me before I was the dark one. "But rumple." Self said. "Why else would she throw you out? What if Belle, just like Cora and Zelena and Bae and Milla and anyone else you ever tried to love, what if just like all of them you only loved the part of you, or the idea of you?"

"And I had to admit, what self was saying was making sense. My wife only loved the idea that I might become an honored warrior in the ogre's war; my son only loved the crippled coward, a man too weak to protect his own son; Cora only loved the darkness and the power that being with me provided; and Zelena loved me because I had a curse, and she wanted to one up her sister. "But self." I said. "Of course my darling Belle loves me, all of me in unconditionally. Surely it was just anger that made her want to kill me, or at least the equivalent of."

"But as I was sitting there, another thought came into my head, a terrible thought I tell you. It remind me of what you would say, all those years ago. About how all you wanted was a chance to prove yourself, to prove that you were brave. To be able to help people in a truly meaningful way. And then I began to wonder, is that all I was to you? Was I nothing more than a charity case, someone who you knew would just end up hurting themselves over and over again, always coming back to you for comfort and support? A lost soul you could save over and over, a person you could help in a truly meaningful way over and over again. You once said you thought my heart was empty, that I was hoarding things in order to fill the void because no one could love me, even I can't love myself; and there you are filling the void, being the only thing that gave meaning to my life." The entire time Gold had been saying that he'd been looking forward, not even turning his head to look at Belle and she was frozen.

But then he shifted and put an elbow against the wall to push his head up so he could see most of Belle's face. "But you see, I have an abnormal amount of faith in you. I don't know why should have faith in anyone really anymore, after all I know it for a fact that no one could love me. That's why I showed what I did, in your dream that is, I showed you what it was like to be me. But you feel, just a glimpse mind you, I gave you but a drop of the well of darkness inside me. You felt the smallest fraction of all the pain I felt in all of my life, I wanted you to understand why it is I am the way I am."

He then he went right back into a sitting position with his head against the headboard, he then put his hands on top of his lap and interlaced the fingers like he was at a psychiatrist. "I've also been thinking about our relationship; how it seems like you always want to change me. It's one of the things that got me onto the idea that maybe you're not so different from everyone else. With them being not in love with me but the idea of what I could be. You see as far as I understand it true love is about a complete and utter understanding about the other person. Accepting every single flaw imperfection they have. I realize just how unfair that is for you to say love me or else. It's like an addict, when they been forced into rehab, you can't just send someone to rehab and expect them to instantly get better. And you can't go to rehab for someone else. You have to do it because you want to do it; you have to do it for yourself. And that's the thing I guess you and I never understood, that when you are in love, each of you change, and you change over time naturally, slowly molding to the point where we fit perfectly together, each one filling in the cracks in the other."

Gold then stood up and walked to the foot of the bed, he then snapped his fingers and the magic slipped off Belle. "I came here to tell you that I'm sorry, I disappointed you. And even though it's quite obvious I think that you don't really love me, not this me, you love the Rumpelstiltskin that's been built up inside of your mind for years. The one that does the right things, that's unselfish, that is able to be a good man. And I'm sorry, but if there's one thing you didn't realize those 300 years you saw, is that there comes a time where you just get too tired, tired of always trying to do the right thing. For 40 years of my life I tried to always do the right thing, it didn't get me anywhere. For 300 years I devoted my life doing the wrong thing in order to get to the one person I love, and it was all for nothing. So I'm sorry that I couldn't change 300 years of doing the wrong thing, of being insecure and being a coward overnight, and I'm sorry if the only reason you love me is because you hope I'll one day be a better man and stay that way. That's true just lie back in bed go to sleep and tell yourself to dream, and you'll never have to see me again."

"But if you love for me simply because you enjoy putting the pieces back together, then feel free to cross the town line come and find me. I'm so broken that I'm willing to take love any form I get, even if it's in that or finally corrupted and disillusioned way."

And then sighing he said one last thing. "But if you do truly love me, and don't care if I'm evil or good, as Saint or sinner, a hero or villain; and I'll stay or I'll go, but I just ask that you be with me." He then walked out, throwing over his shoulder a last comment. "And just so you know, I did trade the real one for you, and then I took it back."

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><p><em>And you'd stop having babies.<em>

Dr. Who – season 8 episode 10.

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><p>00000<p>

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><p><em>I've got no strings to hold me down<em>

_To make me fret, or make me frown_

_I had strings but now I'm free_

_There are no strings on me_

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><p>Gold had only one more stop to make before he could leave.<p>

It wasn't hard to find Henry, Gold had been watching the lad the whole time he had been here, he even looked in on the boy before Belle.

The lad hadn't changed much, and Gold wanted to thank him for inadvertently showing him that the sorcerer and the author were one in the same.

He had also become more independent, and more attracted to Jefferson's daughter Grace, so intercepting him while he was walking through the woods.

"Hello Henry."

The young boy, no, man, he was a man now, spun around, the shock clear on his face. "Grandpa, how?"

"It doesn't matter, I'm leaving soon anyway."

"Why?"

"Because I've done what I came here to do, I needed to talk to Belle, to explain things and make them right, now that I've done that, I'll be gone before the sun sets."

"Did you two make up?"

"I told her that if she came to me, I'd welcome her back with open arms."

"Good." Henry said smiling. They then fell into an awkward silence. "Um, I should." It was left unfinished.

"You should, but can I ask you smoothing first?"

Henry was a little shocked. "Sure."

"What idea or part of me do you love?"

"What?"

"Well, no one has ever loved me, only the thought of what I was before or could become. Even my true love, she only loved the idea that I could be a better men, loved the idea that she could fix me. What about you?"

"I loved you because you are family. Family always sticks together regardless of what's happened."

Gold sighed. "I wish that were true my boy, but I find that even family can't love me. Hell, even I can't find it in myself to love me."

"Well grandpa, I love you, and I believe in you."

"You are betting on a dead hoarse my boy, but thank you all the same." And then Gold hugged the boy.

And Henry didn't notice the object that got slipped into his pocket by Gold.

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><p><em>I've got no strings so I have fun<em>

_And I'm not tied to anyone_

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><p>When Rumple got back to the town line, the Queens of Darkness were waiting for him. "Sun rise tomorrow, I've rigged the spell to activate to change the story book. Villains will now be able to have their happy endings." He then pulled out a story book he had written, one were the Villains not only got their happy endings, but any attempt made to stop it ended in the town burning. "You will have a year and a day to do what you like with the town, burn it or let it stand I don't care. After that year is up the crystal I gave Henry will run out of magic and the most powerful heroes in town will be released."<p>

"And before that, you didn't tell use what that crystal will do during that time." Ursula complained.

"It will activate at dinner time and incase Snow White's family and Regina when she comes to vist in a unbreakable shield, to the out side observer it will look like the entire building has been turned into a diamond. Once it breaks they will continue eating their meal, and talking, not realizing that a year has gone by. And I shall then return, hopefully with Belle at my side. If she remains and is trapped like the others, they will all think that I was cast out of town by some powerful force, or will come and search for me to help the town. I shall then return and destroy you so I can be the hero, and everything will be wonderful."

"Except for us if you destroy us." Cruel said.

"Merely a figure of speech, I will send you across the town line, were your happy ending will be awaiting you."

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><p><em>How I love my liberty<em>

_There are no strings on me_

* * *

><p>Gold left like he said. Belle was not with him, but he hoped she would come, maybe to beg for his help.<p>

As he went across the border, he looked up at the wall of magic, for the first time with his powers he could see what it looked like, his great creation, all rendered worthless by Bea dying.

"I hope you burn."

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><p><em>I had strings. <em>

* * *

><p>11 months later Belle came to him. She begged him for help, say that the women who kidnapped her were back and were burning the town down and that anyone who could stop them were trapped.<p>

"Why should I help that town, only Henry truly loves me, and he is safe in that diamond cage you told me about. I already died for the town, and as a reward you abandoned me."

"Rumple, you were going to kill Hook."

"Villains don't get happy endings, Hook was a villain. Why should a man that managed to always do things for purely selfish reasons be happy, when I who did everything to find my son do not?"

"I…"

"No Belle, just no. You were the one that through me out, you were the one that said we all must pay for our actions, you said we should never stop fighting for one another." Gold managed to say everything without anger or resentment. He simply didn't care enough.

When Belle went to leave, he spoke. "The spell you mentioned, is the diamond clear, or white like snow?"

"Snow." She said turning to face him.

"When was it set?"

"The day you left."

"That spell is meant to last one year and a day, I will come and save the town then. I will do it for my grandson, because I love him, the rest of them can burn for all I care. I hope you will come with."

"Why not now? Why can't you save them for your wife?"

"My wife doesn't love me, she only came because she is afraid and has no choice; and because to stop those women I would need to be the evil man my wife hates. If she ever managed love me, all of me, I could have been persuaded." He then looked at Belle, who had tears in her eyes. "I begged for you forgiveness and you killed me, it's not very fun when the shoe is on the other foot is it. And you need to understand that you can't have it all, It's either except me for the man I am, the good the bad and the ugly; or put me out of my misery." He then reached for a paper. "I told you you could stay, so you can. Maybe a month and a day of thinking it all over will help you sort things out.

* * *

><p><em>But now I'm free.<em>

* * *

><p>Henry ran home in time for dinner. He burst into the apartment finding Regina, Emma, Mary, and David. Little Neal was asleep in a bassinet. "Gold came back and is leaving town."<p>

Everybody's mouth just fell open. "What?" Emma said.

"Gold managed to come back into town. He said he was leaving again because he knows that there's nothing left for them here. They wanted to know why it is I loved him."

"Okay, don't worry Henry will take care of it." David said.

"No. Don't you guys understand. He's going to leave because he knows that no one here loves him. He realizes that even his true love can't love him for him. We can't let him leave."

"Henry, it's a good thing that he leaves." Mary said.

Henry just looked at all of them with the sternest look he had ever given any of them. "Are you all just stupid, or is it the bad case of hypocrisy?" He said before turning and pointing at Regina. "Regina the evil Queen, a person who slaughtered thousands all because an eight-year-old can't keep a secret wants to kill the man who only ever did anything for a son." He then turned to Mary and David. "The man who helped you get your happy ending, the man who is helped you whenever you asked, the man who has only done anything for the same motivations you have; to find love, and you want him banished."

"We never killed anyone Henry." David said.

"I've read the book grandpa. What else happens in wars but the killing of others, and last time I checked both of you participated in the wars that were needed to take the throne away from Regina and George, and weren't they the rightful rulers."

"Yes but Regina was the villain at the time." Mary said.

"And Hook is considered a hero in story books now. The man who has repeatedly tried to kill Gold, who was one of the main people that ruined his life, and wasn't even a member of the family. And we are all little upset that he tried to take revenge for that, to destroy the dagger that was used on him by a psycho of whom gave many commands, one of which was to kill Belle. Remind me again why it is you killed Cora." Henry said looking sternly at Mary and David. But neither of them had a good answer so he moved on to Emma. "And I suppose being the reason you are born, being my grandfather, the only remaining link I have to my father, not to mention someone who is helped you several times and died for the town."

"Henry, I love to Hook. I know it's hard for me to say hard for you to hear, but I loved him and Gold was going to kill him, he lied and tricked all of us."

"Really, he said he didn't know woman; you said my father was dead and a firefighter. And what part of villains don't get happy endings is confusing? Hook equal's villain, the villain equals no happy ending, villain who try to get happy endings end up dead, heroes who try to love fillings and up heartbroken. The game was always rigged."

The group stood in silence for a moment. No one wondering quite what action they should take.

Then suddenly there was a loud crash, David ran to the window to see that the town was in smoke. Buildings were burning, roads were destroyed, and cars were upside down. It looked a lot like when the wraith had come. "What in the name of?" He stared wide-eyed trying to find the words. "The entire towns on fire."

"WHAT?" Everybody yelled rushing to the window. Having a similar reaction as David to what they saw.

"We get down there now." Emma said already halfway across the room. When they all got down onto the street.

* * *

><p><em>There are no strings on me<em>

_On me._

I've got no Strings – Pinocchio/ Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer.

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><p>It didn't take the heroes long to realize they were fighting a losing battle. Apparently for the last year the town folk had been trying to combat the Queens of darkness, three powerful villains fresh out of Disney story books that made Emma want to cringe.<p>

Apparently they been in some kind of impenetrable diamond like mountain thingy for the last year. The truly disheartening thing was that Emma finally realized what was like to have that memory potion take away a year of your life in a nine a notice it. To think that any point during the conversation they were in mid sentence, maybe even made word. It was funny in a way and she was sure she would laugh about the fact that she had managed to maybe say the first half word in August 2014, in the second half in August 2015.

But the truly terrifying thing was just when the villains looked like they were about to wipe out everyone in Storybroke. Someone or something kicked them out of town.

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><p>"Okay I give up." David said looking at the spot where the three witches had been standing room to go. And a moment to go someone had caused them to fly back, going high over what was left of the buildings towards the edge of town. "What was that, and where was it during that year."<p>

"What. Why would a rude thing to say, I'm not a what. I thought you knew better than that David." The entire town turned around to see none other than Rumpelstiltskin standing with his arm outstretched.

"Gold." Emma said in shocked amazement.

"Don't start falling on your feet and praising me quite yet Swan. Or is it Hook now, has the dear captain finally gotten up the nerve to propose."

"Hooks dead."

"Well well, that is a pity. I'm sure we can all mourn him just as soon as I figure out what it is I'm going to do with all of you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Grumpy asked.

"Well last time I checked someone tried to banish me, I believe the term permanently was used. Honestly Emma, if that's how they treat people who save towns, you and I really should get out of the business. But I haven't quite decided yet, should I retaliate for that little misunderstanding or not?"

"Trying to kill Hook was a misunderstanding." Snow said. "Lying to all of us."

"Saving all of you, manipulating events so that some of you were actually born, all I am wanted to return was the ability to never have to worry about being controlled again. When you know it seemed to my instincts were correct. After all my true love somehow managed to convince herself that controlling me twice for the good of all was a good thing." He said giving Bella glare. "But enough about me, after on the monster, villain, a beast." He then looked at Belle again. "Those were the words you used when we parted last, wasn't it? No matter." He said turning back to a town "So I don't really need a good reason to kill all of you or banish you do I?"

"And why did you save the town?" Granny asked.

"Oh, well, see the thing is I didn't save the town. Belle came to me a month ago and informed me of this little problem. I was perfectly content to let the town burn, after all, saveing the town didn't really do me anygood last time, and if we all were being entirely honest with one another, every single one of you would stab me in the back at a moment's notice. But Henry, he was in danger. If there was a way for me to have saved him and him alone, I would've left you all to your fate, same as you left me so many times."

"You can't kill all of us Gold." Regina said. "No one is that powerful."

"Oh really?" Gold then put out his hand and lowered it quickly, revealing the sorceress half. "Funny thing about this hat, it steals magic. And another funny little fact is that not only is this town built by magic, but every single person here has a little bit inside of them." He then lifted the hat up so he could get a good look at it. "In other words this little beauty is capable of killing every single person in this town except for, well no one but me. And I can do it all at once." He then went and looked out at all the people who were standing there, their faces all morphing into a look of pure terror. "So listen well all of you, the only reason you are currently alive is because one person managed to find it within them to be able to love me. All of me. It is only because of Henry that you are alive now; if anyone wants to try and double-cross me, or gets any bright ideas about trying to get throw me out of town again. Just remember that I got back in once, and I can do it again, and that's time I won't be so forgiving or understanding." And then in a puff of smoke, Gold, Bell, and the hat disappeared.

* * *

><p>When the smoke cleared Belle found herself sitting in a chair inside of their home. Gold went and sat down, looking more tired and old then he ever had. "I don't want to stay angry at you." He said his voice sounding as tired as him. "For so long I've been nothing but angry, suspicious, I've never been able to find it within myself to love anyone, not even myself. But you for better or for worse somehow managed to find it within yourself to love me once, even if it wasn't of pure unrestricted love it was still the best I could get." He then looked at her with tears in his eyes. "I don't know who it is that deserves forgiveness more, or who it is that was more wrong in what we did. But what I do know is that I want to love you Belle, I want you to be able to love me. I want you to love me the way I love you, but I realize that it's a lot easier to love you than it is to love me. Maybe it's foolish thinking we could ever come back what happened, I know we can never be the way we were. But I want to see if we can at least be able to live together, care for one another."<p>

There was a long silence. "I am sorry Belle. Not sorry for what I did or how I did it, but I am sorry that I hurt you. I know no one will ever be a limb stand why it is I did what I did, but I did it because I thought it was the best thing to do, for the both of us."

"And I forgive you Rum. I'm sorry for the things I said, the mistakes I made, the accusations come all of it." She looked up at him with tears. "I want us to be better, if you'll help me I think we can be. "

"That's all I ask sweetheart, that's all I ask."

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><p><strong>Wow this is long. I did not think it was going to turn out to be this long but apparently it did, and I am very impressed.<strong>

**Now please allow me to explain before you all start yelling at me. When I watched the finale, and was reading some of the fanfic and posts that were made in response I realized that I'm pretty sure everybody made one giant mistake.**

**The Gauntlet.**

**The gauntlet was not designed to find the thing the person loves the most. Rumple said that's what happens most of the time because that's what people have is their greatest weakness. But I think anybody can agree that when it comes to a dark one, their greatest weakness is obviously the one thing that cannot only kill them but control them. Ipso facto the dagger.**

**Not only that, that I really wanted Hook to die. But even if cooked didn't have to die thought that the whole banishment was a little extreme, as I said it's kind of comparable to death in the fact that it was so darned permanent.**

**And then there was the fact that Belle was so stupid not to realize the fact that the gauntlet didn't work the way she was describing it. And that she didn't realize that rumple did in fact go and trade the gauntlet for her.**

**And then there's the fact that everybody for some reason appears to be on Hook's side. When he is in fact I believe no better if not worse than rumple. Everything Hook Has ever done has been for selfish reasons, not to mention the fact that when he got his hand put back on he instantly reverted into a cruel pirate. Unlike Gold who is willing to admit to himself that he does not believe himself capable of change, or that he truly has changed; Hook can't even admit to himself that at the end of the day, he's still a villain at heart.**

**And now this is not actually meant to be a serious, "what if" piece of fanfiction. It's more a way for me to vent a large amount of frustration this and building up over the weekend.**

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><p><strong>Speaking of frustration. Nobody probably knows this but I'm a Christian, and on Friday at my mother's birthday party my grandfather suffered three minor heart attacks, and then the next day he had a seizure.<strong>

**He's fine now and is back from the hospital, but if it's not too much to ask, could people pray for him or whatever.**

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><p><strong>Oh and one last thing. <strong>**That Dinner Would Stink**** should be updated soon, but I can't make any promises about ****The House of Gold**** updating regularly and tell after New Year's. With all the stress about holidays in health and whatnot it just can't be ensured that it will happen.**

**Not to say that I won't be updating all of my stories over the break and whatnot, I just can't ensure when or if it will happen.**

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><p><strong>And just so it's clear, everything in italics was made by somebody else why give credit to. And anything in bold was made by me, so it's mine. *Evil Laugh*.<strong>


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